The neck of an individual, in particular a child, is not strong enough to hold the individual's head in a position to prevent damage to the head during vehicle accidents or sudden stops. While many vehicle seats are provided with head restraints to protect an adult occupant of the seat from rearward motion during an accident, the seats do not include restraints to afford the occupant protection from side impacts. This is also true for child safety seats. While the child safety seat affords some protection from side impacts, it is not sufficient to prevent neck and back injury. Physically handicapped individuals are also susceptible to head injuries which may occur in vehicle collisions or sudden stops and will benefit from the present invention.